July 31, 2010

"... I'm writing it down to remember it now."

They say that the dullest pencil is better than the sharpest memory... as I take to this exercise of sharing the occasional thought, I'm finding it more and more necessary to jot down notes on just about anything and everything that I consider worthwhile. Couple that with a healthy affection for authenticity, a minimalist aesthetic, and well-made American wares, and suddenly I find myself with an irrepressible need for Field Notes.

Hand delivered a couple Saturdays ago by my very own United States postal worker came a set of three 48-page sheets of stapled-together graph paper. Along with a handy no. 2 pencil. Thus far I've found Field Notes to be slightly less ostentatious than my Moleskine and significantly more portable. I am completely unencumbered carrying it in most any pocket (jean/coat/shirt), which means I take it everywhere. It stood up quite well against a spill/attack by my morning coffee at the office, and to date I've captured a few choice one-liners, some thoughts on a just-finished book, and a pretty terrific list of the more memorable albums released b/t '92-'96 (a particularly relevant four-year span for me), among other things. Do you want to see my grocery list?

Hammering out these little vignettes at the old desk has become markedly easier, having already captured the moment, as it were. So at this point I'll stick to what's working, and that, for now, is my 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" memo pad.